Call it a lack of originality in Hollywood or just the age old philosophy of "what's old is new again", it doesn't matter. They're going to be churned out in the form of "reboots" or "prequels" ("Prometheus", we're glaring at you), but, in the end, it's just a remake.
However, often you will get a remake that improves upon the original. "Total Recall" is such a film. You can boo, hiss, bitch and moan all you want. Just because it's a remake doesn't mean the original was that great to begin with.
Being a remake of the 1990 release of the same name, "Total Recall" starts off in the future after virtually all the planet has been destroyed by nuclear war. Now all that's left is the United Federation of Britain and, on the other side of the world, The Colony (basically Australia) -- connected by a subterranean mass transit system called The Fall.
Here we find Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell), a factory worker who is complacent with his life, but wants a little more for himself. His wife Lori (Kate Beckensale) tries her best to help him in his funk, but is often too tired from her job to spend quality time with him. Despite his better judgement, and his best friend at work Harry (Bokeem Woodbine), Doug finds his way to Rekall, a place where they implant memories in your head so it feels like you've been somewhere or done something that you normally wouldn't have been able to afford. However, moments before going under, the feds show up, shooting up the place. In a crazed panic, Doug manages to grab a gun and blasts his way out.
Later, he finds out that Lori is a covert agent for the government, Doug may be a spy named Carl Hauser, an operative for the resistance named Melina (Jessica Biel) is trying to keep him alive, and this all may have something to do with both resistance leader Mathias (Bill Nighy) and Chancellor Cohaagan (Bryan Cranston)...assuming any of this is real.
Director Len Wiseman ("Underworld", "Live Free Or Die Hard") and screenwriters Kurt Wimmer ("Utraviolet", "Equilibrium") and Mark Bomback ("Live Free Or Die Hard", "Godsend") go by the original screen story by scribes Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett to go far and beyond the storytelling Ah-nold version took us. The action sequences look crisper and a hell of a lot more logical, where the writing is actually good.
Colin Farrell's performance is light years ahead of Schwarzenegger's performance in the original. Unlike Ah-nold, Farrell actually looks like an everyday guy stuck in the middle of this chaos. Kate Beckinsale is amazing as Lori, actually giving her the opportunity to brutally kick some ass instead of simply looking like a blonde bimbo (Sharon Stone, we're glaring at you). Jessica Biel is awesome as well as Melina, who manages to kick some ass herself.
Say what you want about the 90s version. It's bad. They took the short story from celebrated author Phillip K. Dick "We'll Remember It For You Wholesale", and bastardized it into a Schwarzenegger film about spies and aliens.
2012's "Total Recall" remedies all of that. Taking out the alien/Mars element from the script and focusing on a compelling story about government conspiracies and mistaken identity. What makes the movie compelling is Doug's journey to find out who he is. Farrell's performance immerses you in as you can see the agony he goes through with every passing moment. And there are moments of true beauty in the film that were completely absent from the original. At the beginning of the film, Doug wishes he could play the piano. So when he discovers he can play the piano after all, it's an amazing moment.
If you're a fan of the original, holding on to the fond memories of the 1990 film, it's time to let it go. This version is superior in every way.
FINAL VERDICT: Think you know "Total Recal"? You're only dreaming. Len Wiseman's daring vision of Phillip K. Dick's short story is a wonder to behold. Better writing, better performances, and a compelling story that doesn't take us Mars. Instead, it takes you on a trip into the human psyche. This is a great movie all-around.
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